Lorazepam belongs to a group of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by boosting the effect of a naturally occurring substance (GABA) to induce a sense of calm.
It helps treat anxiety and anxiety-related sleeping issues. Referred to as a pre-med, it is sometimes also administered to patients before surgeries or medical/dental procedures.
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Administration
Lorazepam is FDA-approved for short-term (4 months) treatment of status epilepticus and anxiety-related insomnia. As a pre-med, it helps ease anxiety or induce sedation in adults.
Non-FDA approved (off-label) uses for Lorazepam include:
- rapid sedation of an agitated patient
- alcohol withdrawal syndrome
- insomnia
- delirium
- panic disorder
- psychogenic catatonia
Precautions
The following precautions must be considered when administering Lorazaepam:
- Lorazepam should not be used to treat anxiety or other mental disorders during the first or third trimesters of pregnancy. It should not be administered to new-borns, premature infants, or people who have experienced an allergic reaction to Lorazepam. Additionally, it should not be administered intra-arterially.
- Lorazepam is not advised in patients with a history of using illegal substances. It may lead to risks of overdose and fatality since there is an increased risk of abuse and dependency.
Dosage
Lorazepam can be administered as pills, oral solutions and injectables. Be sure to take the medication as instructed by your doctor.
Oral dosage forms of Lorazepam include:
- 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, and oral concentrate solution in a 2 mg/mL dose,
- 1 mg extended-release capsule,
- 2 mg extended-release capsule, and
- 3 mg extended-release capsule.
It can be given intramuscularly (IM) or intravenously (IV) as a 2 mg/mL or 4 mg/mL injection. If administered IV, the medication takes 1 to 3 minutes to start working; if administered IM, it takes 15 to 30 minutes.
If you are over 65 or have problems with your liver or kidneys, your doctor may tell you to take a lower dose.
Side effects
Lorazepam may cause the following side effects-
- drowsiness
- dizziness
- lethargy
- dry mouth
- diarrhoea
- nausea
- altered appetite
- agitation or excitement
- constipation
- frequent and difficult urination
- blurred vision
Some severe side effects include-
- shuffling walk
- fever
- continuous trembling
- severe skin rash skin
- yellowish discolouration of eyes
- unstable heartbeat
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Disclaimer
Anzen Export’s blog posts have been written with information gathered from approved medical journals and websites online. Our research and technical team strive to provide relevant information through such articles. To be best informed, we advise consulting a doctor about an ingredient or medicine before taking it.